College Hotline » Drew Gordonhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports
With Jon WilnerTue, 03 Mar 2015 17:32:56 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1Action/reaction: USC’s search, Gerhart’s return, Gordon’s injury, Montana, Westphal, the Rose Bowl and that outlaw SEChttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/06/18/actionreaction-uscs-search-gerharts-return-gordons-injury-montanas-commitment-rose-bowl-to-espn-and-the-outlaw-sec/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/06/18/actionreaction-uscs-search-gerharts-return-gordons-injury-montanas-commitment-rose-bowl-to-espn-and-the-outlaw-sec/#commentsThu, 18 Jun 2009 17:40:49 +0000Jon Wilnerhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/?p=7799Offseason? … What offseason? Action: USC pursues coaching candidates with NBA backgrounds. Reaction I: Because athletic director Mike Garrett’s previous hires who fit that model (Henry Bibby and Tim Floyd) worked out so darn well. Reaction II: Reggie Theus is… Continue Reading →]]>Action: USC pursues coaching candidates with NBA backgrounds.
Reaction I: Because athletic director Mike Garrett's previous hires who fit that model (Henry Bibby and Tim Floyd) worked out so darn well.
Reaction II: Reggie Theus is interviewing today, according to the LA Times. No surprise there. He has always struck me as a Garrett kind of guy.
Reaction III: The scandal-plagued Trojans must hire a clean-as-they-come coach, and as far as I know, Theus has never been accused of NCAA rules violations. But if you're USC, would you really want to take a chance on someone who played for UNLV in its outlaw days and then turned around New Mexico State with alarming, err, surprising, speed?
Action: Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart is not selected in the MLB Draft.
Reaction I: Teams weren't willing to spend a pick on someone they knew would only sign for seven figures but wasn't worth seven figures.
Reaction II: With Gerhart's return to the football program assured, Stanford becomes, officially, one of the masses contending for the Nos. 4-8 slots in the Pac-10, along with UCLA, Oregon State and the Arizona schools.
Reaction III: USC, Cal and Oregon have to be considered the favorites, the Washington schools the laggards.
Action: UCLA sophomore and former Mitty star Drew Gordon partially tears his patellar tendon during tryouts for the USA Basketball U19 Team.
Reaction: Gordon has enough time to recover before the Bruins' Nov. 17 opener vs. Fullerton (and even more time to get ready for Kansas' visit on Dec. 6). But given that this is the second time Gordon has been injured trying out for USA Basketball, the patriotism, while well-intentioned, should probably end.
Action: Highly-touted and genetically-blessed quarterback Nick Montana gives Washington a verbal, becoming the highest-profile player to commit to Steve Sarkisian's program.
Reaction I: I wonder what secondary NCAA rule violation Sarkisian committed in order to land Montana.
Reaction II: Just kidding, Huskies!
Reaction III: In all seriousness, simply landing Montana could be more significant than any on-field impact he makes in the next few years, because it gives Sarkisian credibility and will, in theory, help lure other top recruits.
Reaction IV: The way things have turned around in Seattle, I fully expect that within three years, the Huskies will be better than Washington State.
Action: Sacramento Kings hire Paul Westphal.
Reaction I: It's not a college topic, I know, but since Westphal spent half the decade at Pepperdine, I felt compelled to respond.
Reaction II: Worst. Hire. Ever.
Reaction: III: Yes, even worse than hiring Theus last year.
Reaction IV: When Westphal is fired next spring, look for the Kings to hire George Gervin.
Action: Rose Bowl to be televised on ESPN, not ABC, when the next BCS cycle begins with the 2010 season.
Reaction I: It's the new world order, and the Tournament of Roses folks must absolutely hate it.
Reaction II: Bo would be turning over in his grave ... if he hadn't already done that last fall.
Action: Alabama ordered to vacate 21 wins and placed on three years probation for misuse of textbooks.
Reaction I: The NCAA was so angry, it slapped UAB with the death penalty.
Reaction II: This is only a big deal if the Tide violates NCAA rules during the probationary period. No reason to expect something like that from a fine, upstanding SEC school.
Action: Florida players involved in 24 legal incidents since 2005 but called "a pretty good group" by Urban Meyer.
Reaction I: Only 24? Somewhere, Rey Maualuga thinks: "Amateurs."
Reaction II: Elsewhere, Lane Kiffin drops copy of Florida penal code in the mail, addressed to: Meyer, U.
Reaction III: I wonder if there's a clause in Meyer's contract that allows him to collect a half-mill bonus if the Gators average fewer than 10 arrests per year.
Reaction IV: Florida's latest multi-year APR score: 963. Gotta give it up to Meyer on that front.]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/06/18/actionreaction-uscs-search-gerharts-return-gordons-injury-montanas-commitment-rose-bowl-to-espn-and-the-outlaw-sec/feed/17My early top-25 basketball rankings for 2009-10 (Kansas is No. 1)http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/04/08/my-early-top-25-basketball-rankings-for-2009-10-kansas-is-no-1/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/04/08/my-early-top-25-basketball-rankings-for-2009-10-kansas-is-no-1/#commentsWed, 08 Apr 2009 17:36:04 +0000Jon Wilnerhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/?p=6776*** Forgot to include “ridiculously” in front of “early” in the title, but that goes without saying … This is the second of a three-part series previewing the 2009-10 hoops season. Coming next (probably Thursday morning): the top-15 players. Hopefully,… Continue Reading →]]>*** Forgot to include "ridiculously" in front of "early" in the title, but that goes without saying ... This is the second of a three-part series previewing the 2009-10 hoops season. Coming next (probably Thursday morning): the top-15 players.
Hopefully, I'll have as much success this April as I did last, when my early projections had UNC, UConn, Louisville and Michigan State at or near the top. But I doubt it.
As always with this sort of thing:
* It's based on what I think is likely to happen with NBA Draft decisions. For instance: I'm working under the assumption that Hasheem Thabeet is turning pro and that Cole Aldrich is not.
* It was compiled Tuesday night, so by the time you read it, there might be draft news that renders my assessment of a particular team incorrect.
* The rankings will be updated after the late-April test-the-waters deadline and again after the mid-June in-or-out deadline.
So if you disagree with something (for instance: Kentucky in the top 10), keep in mind that the ranking probably will change after the draft fallout and spring recruiting.
Here we go, in reverse order:
Missed the cut (but could be added later): Oklahoma, Illinois, Texas, Cal, Dayton, Memphis, Maryland, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Florida State, St. Mary's and Pittsburgh.
25. Washington: Abdul Gaddy joins Isaiah Thomas and Venoy Overton to give UW a top trio of small guards. There’s enough talent on the wing (Quincy Pondexter) and up front Matthew Bryan-Amaning) to keep the Huskies rolling despite the loss of Brockman and Dentmon.
24. Mississippi State: The March momentum should continue for the Bulldogs, who return their top-nine scorers.
23. Gonzaga: Matt Bouldin’s back, as are Demetri Goodson and Steven Gray. If Austin Daye adds muscle, gets tough and plays to his huge potential, the Zags could climb into the top 12 or 15.
22. Michigan: Yet another Big Ten team with a very good coach and a roster stocked with returning starters.
21. UCLA: Given Ben Howland’s track record as a recruiter, I’m expecting Malcolm Lee, Jerime Anderson, J’Mison Morgan and Drew Gordon to develop into impact players. But if Jrue Holiday leaves for the NBA, knock the Bruins off this list.
20. Tennessee: Even if Tyler Smith heads to the NBA, the Vols should be a Sweet 16 threat with most of the roster intact. (Haven't seen the schedule but I expect it to be difficult once again.)
19. Minnesota: Ranking based on Tubby Smith being an awfully good coach and the top-nine scorers coming back from a team that won 22 games.
18. Missouri: Hard to imagine the Tigers will win another 31 games without Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll. But J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor and Kim English give coach Mike Anderson a solid foundation.
17. Louisville: Big personnel losses with Terrence Williams and Earl Clark moving on. And if Samardo Samuels joins them, drop the Cardinal out of the poll. If Samuels returns, beware The Ville once again.
16. Ohio State: Would have been a few spots higher if center B.J. Mullens had opted to return. But Buckeyes will be very solid -- potentially a top-10 team -- with guard Evan Turner leading the way.
15. Xavier: With Derrick Brown due back, I was considering the Musketeers for a top-10 spot. And then Sean Miller left.
14. Oklahoma State: Top scorer James Anderson returns, as does most of the roster from a team that won 23 games and gave Pitt a serious scare in the second round.
13. Wake Forest: One of the toughest teams to figure. If Jeff Teague and Al-Farouq Aminu come back, this is a top-five team potentially. If they leave, Wake’s out of the poll. So I split the difference and will await draft decisions. (Note: James Johnson is gone.)
12. Villanova: One of the best perimeter units in the country with Scottie Reynolds, Reggie Redding and the Coreys (Fisher and Stokes). But ‘Nova needs someone to fill Dante Cunningham’s spot up front.
11. Florida: Even if guard Nick Calathes stays in the draft, the Gators, who were extremely young this season, should be much-improved. Coach Billy Donovan has loaded up on top prospects since the title team departed.
10. Butler: The Bulldogs were one of the 20 or 25 best teams this season and they return everybody. Every. Body. There wasn’t a senior on the roster in 2008-09.
9. North Carolina: It’s the same thing with USC football: No matter how many first-round picks depart, you know the replacements are awfully good.
8. West Virginia: Alex Ruoff departs, but I'm expecting Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks to form one of the top tandems in the Big East.
7. Connecticut: Not sure if Jim Calhoun will return and can’t imagine that Hasheem Thabeet will pass up a top-five spot in the draft. But Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson should be back and Stanley Robinson very well might be. And that’s a pretty good core (along with Gavin Edwards underneath).
6. Duke: Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler are back. If Gerald Henderson joins them, the Devils will be well-positioned to win the ACC and then lose early in the NCAAs (again). If Henderson enters the NBA, then drop Duke a few spots.
5. Kentucky: Good chance this slotting doesn’t hold through the spring. But with Calipari coming aboard ... and several elite recruits ... and if Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks return ... the Wildcats could be very, very good.
4. Purdue: Became a top-five team the moment JaJuan Johnson decided to return for his junior year to join Robbie Hummel and E’Twaun Moore.
3. Syracuse: Every starter returns, which makes the Orange the Big East favorite and a Final Four threat. Unless point guard Jonny Flynn enters the draft. And Jim Boeheim has recommended he test the waters. So you never know.
2. Michigan State: The runners-up lose two important players, Goran Suton and Travis Walton, but Kalin Lucas, Delvon Roe, Durrell Summers and Raymar Morgan form a nice returning core. Incoming center Derrick Nix should make an immediate impact.
1. Kansas: Won’t be an overwhelming favorite like North Carolina was five months ago, but all the top players are expected to return from a team that won 27 games and reached the Sweet 16 (KU’s adding two five-star recruits, as well). If Sherron Collins and/or Cole Aldrich enter the NBA Draft, drop the Jayhawks.]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/04/08/my-early-top-25-basketball-rankings-for-2009-10-kansas-is-no-1/feed/17What’s next for UCLA? Post-Villanova, post-Collison musingshttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/03/25/whats-next-for-ucla-post-villanova-post-collison-musings/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/03/25/whats-next-for-ucla-post-villanova-post-collison-musings/#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2009 22:06:00 +0000Jon Wilnerhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/?p=6470Planned to wax unpoetic about UCLA hoops following the Villanova debacle, but the more I started thinking about next year’s Bruins, the less sure I was about what I thought about next year’s Bruins … and so here we are,… Continue Reading →]]>If Holiday comes back ... they'll be very young and very good.
They'll have 10 freshmen and sophomores (all elite recruits, of course) plus Nikola Dragovic, James Keefe and Michael Roll.
The starting lineup would be something like: Drew Gordon/J'Mison Morgan/Keefe and Dragovic up front; Tyler Honeycutt/Mike Moser/Roll on the wing; plus Malcolm Lee and Holiday in the backcourt (with Jerime Anderson as the third guard).
That team would probably be picked to win the Pac-10, depending somewhat on other NBA decisions in the league (ie: Quincy Pondexter, Patrick Christopher, multiple USC players).
If Holiday doesn't come back ... they'll be very young and fairly vulnerable, especially in the backcourt.
They'd have three guards, best I can tell: Anderson, Lee and Roll, and Anderson would be the only pure point.
In that situation, unless Gordon/Morgan provide consistent low post scoring (seems unlikely), the Bruins could be a second- or third-place team in the conference ... a No. 6-7 seed ... a second-round loser ...
Either way, the big year for UCLA is 2010-11. Holiday won't be around, but that's when the bulk of the very talented roster will be sophomores and juniors.
But two years -- that's a long time for UCLA fans to wait.]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/03/25/whats-next-for-ucla-post-villanova-post-collison-musings/feed/0Action/reaction: Stanford in the CBI, Rahon leaves Santa Clara, Drew Gordon on UCLA, UConn’s (alleged) violationshttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/03/25/actionreaction-stanford-in-the-cbi-rahon-leaves-santa-clara-drew-gordon-on-ucla-uconns-alleged-violations/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/03/25/actionreaction-stanford-in-the-cbi-rahon-leaves-santa-clara-drew-gordon-on-ucla-uconns-alleged-violations/#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2009 19:34:42 +0000Jon Wilnerhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/?p=6457It’s been far too long … Action: Stanford accepts bid to College Basketball Invitational, then advances to the semifinals. Reaction I: It might not have been the best move financially for a cash-strapped athletic department, but it was a very… Continue Reading →]]>Action: Stanford accepts bid to College Basketball Invitational, then advances to the semifinals.
Reaction I: It might not have been the best move financially for a cash-strapped athletic department, but it was a very Stanford thing to do in terms of providing opportunity for the student athletes. (Which, again, makes the Sixth Man Club issue so baffling: It was most definitely not in the best interest of the students.)
Reaction II: I would be curious to know the Cardinal's CBI bottom line if the team makes the finals and plays a best two-of-three with Richmond, with games one two and three in Richmond. I know plane tickets have been lowered, but still ...
(Note: Having paid no attention to the innerworkings of the CBI, I was unaware of the recent format change for the finals. Thanks to reader mk92 for the correction.
(PS: It is trivial: Everything about the CBI is trivial, including and especially these reactions.)
Reaction III: Trying to determine the postseason tournament pecking order after the NCAA and NIT, and I'm leaning to the CollegeInsider.com tourney over over the CBI, because at least it requires teams to be .500 or better.
Action: UCLA freshman/former Archbishop Mitty star Drew Gordon runs his mouth after the Villanova loss, telling the OC Register that coach Ben Howland "is going to have to change a couple things" next season.
Reaction I: Hey, Drew: Shhhhhhh!Reaction II: Gordon might be right -- the 2009-10 personnel isn't ideal for halfcourt sets unless Gordon or J'Mison Morgan improve dramatically (of course, the Bruins did a fair amount of running this season, too) -- but taking the issue to the press might not sit so well with Howland.
Action: Connecticut reportedly violates NCAA rules while recruiting former player Nate Miles.
Reaction: I was shocked -- shocked! I tell you -- to learn that the UConn staff might have engaged in recruiting wrongdoing. Why, the next thing you know, we'll learn of agent-related violations at Syracuse. Or Memphis. Or Kentucky. Or Morgan State. Or ... USC!
Action: Freshman guard James Rahon transfers from Santa Clara.
Reaction: By my count, he's the sixth player to leave/be removed from the program in Coach Kerry Keating's two years, following: Decensae White, Andrew Zimmerman, Cedric Latimer, Jonathan Gunderson and Zac Tiedeman.
Reaction I: Rahon's departure is more significant than the other five combined because of his proven production and potential (all-WCC freshman team). This is a blow to the program, without question -- and I say that knowing that Keating is bringing in another batch of talented recruits.
Reaction II: Top-of-my-head starting lineup for next season's opener: Troy Alexander, Kevin Foster, Michael Santos, Ben Dowdell and Marc Trasolini, with freshmen Ray Cowels, Robert Smith and Niyi Harrison as the first three off the bench.
Action: Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport determines that NCAA women's basketball teams perform far better than men's teams in the classroom, then calls the discrepancy "startling."
Reaction: What's next, IDES? A study showing that SEC football coaches are competitive?]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/03/25/actionreaction-stanford-in-the-cbi-rahon-leaves-santa-clara-drew-gordon-on-ucla-uconns-alleged-violations/feed/0